This invention relates to a vehicle mounted wheelchair carrier and particularly to a wheelchair carrier adapted to be secured to the rear bumper of a vehicle for supporting of the wheelchair in the normal use state.
Wheelchairs are used by people with various physical impediments. Manually operated and collapsible wheelchairs are widely used as providing a reasonably inexpensive and convenient transport device. The wheelchair is conveniently collapsed not only for storage but for transport in an automobile or the like. Battery powered and motorized wheelchairs are also relatively widely used. Although substantially more expensive than the manually operated collapsible vehicle, the motor drive permits much more readily and easily manipulated and controlled movement of the wheelchair. In addition, depending upon the particular physical disability, the person themselves may not be able to manually move the conventional manually operated wheechair. In such instances, the motorized unit is essential to permit the convenient mobility of the person. Significant difficulty is presented by the motorized wheelchair in the transport of the wheelchair in another vehicle to provide the availability of the wheelchair to the person at different locations. Various suggestions and solutions have been made to improve the portability of the motorized or powered wheelchairs. A widely available commercial system provides a multiple part assembly which permits disassembly of the wheelchair into two or more basic components. When separated, the wheelchair is more conveniently placed in a vehicle trunk, back seat or other portions of an appropriate vehicle. Although this does provide a means of transport, the disassembled parts are relatively bulky and heavy. The disassembled unit therefore will still present an inconvenient if not very difficult task for the elderly who may be operating the transport vehicle, and thus required to disassemble and store the wheelchair as well as reassemble it.
Various lift means have also been suggested which permit the physical lifting of a wheelchair onto the top of the vehicle, or in the case of a van or truck-like vehicles inside of the vehicle. Typical suggestions are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,544,321 which issued Oct. 1, 1985 and 4,573,854 which issued Mar. 4, 1986.
Various lift suggestions have all also been made for collapsible wheelchairs of the more conventional type which have the fabric type seats and permit the collapsing of the sides of the wheelchair into closed spaced or abutting engagement. Typical suggestions are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,213,729 which issued July 22, 1980 and 4,397,607 which issued Oct. 27, 1981 and 4,411,580 which issued Oct. 25, 1983.
Although various automotive-mounted means are suggested for other types of vehicles such as motorbikes and the like which permit securing to the bumper, the devices are not adapted to the construction of a wheelchair. Thus for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,567,052 which issued Mar. 2, 1971 discloses a simple rail U-shaped member extending parallel to a bumper and defining a channel for receiving the two wheels of a motorbike. The rail is pivotally mounted to the bumper at one end and adapted to be interconnected through a vehicle jack or the like for dropping of the opposite ends to a loading position for receiving of a motorbike and than raising thereof to a transport position through the use of a jack.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,607 which issued Aug. 9, 1983 discloses a winch powered wheelchair lift adapted to be interconnected through the trunk and bumper structure of a vehicle for lifting of a wheelchair upwardly over the bumper portion of a typical automobile with a protruding rear trunk structure, with the wheels resting on the bumper and held in place by flexible safety lines. The unit interferes with normal use of the trunk and presents some difficulty in assembly and disassembly from the vehicle if the lift device is to be attached and detached periodically.
There is therefore a continuing need and demand for a relatively simple, reliable and effective wheelchair carrier for releasable support of a wheelchair, and particular a motorized wheelchair, in the normal usage state and assembly; and particularly such a lift device which can be readily mounted to and detached from the vehicle.